Apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles.



fNo. 844,472.

PATEN'IED FEB. 19', 1907. S. O. RICHARDSON, Jn. APPARATUS FOR FIRE PULISHING GLASS ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.30. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

NORME. FETE .PATENTED PEB. 19, 1907.

S. 0. RICHARDSON, JR APPARATUS POR FIRE POLISHING GLASS ARTICLES.

vPolishing tlass Articles,

Unire sra NT irre.

APPARATUS FOR FEREFOLlSt-HNG GLASS ARTlCLES.

i No. 844,472.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ret. 19,1907.

' Application filed embarca-190e. semina. 341,266.

.To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known thatI, SoLoN OsMoND Rion- ARDSON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and l State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Fireotwhich the following isl a specification.

lVIy invention relates to improvements in apparatus fornre-polishing glass articles.

'lhe object'ot' my invention is to provide an apparatus which is especially adapted to a l process for tire-polishing glass articles, particularly pressed-glass articles and blanks for cut glass, by the use of which apparatus the work may be cheaply and rapidly done, while at vthe saine time avoiding the possibility of chipping or otherwise marring the articles being polished and preventing the distortion of such articles under the influence of the heatapplied thereto. This and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are accomplished by the use of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure 'l is a plan view of a convenient form oi' apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevational view ot the same. Fig. 3 is an elevational view ci a support adaptedy to be used with this apparatus to hold the article to be polished while the same is being worked upon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the. same. Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of another style ci' support that may be eniployed, and Fig. 6 shows the same open to receive the article.

Like letters of reference indicate the saine parts in the several iigures of thev drawings.

In the drawings, A indicates the top oi' a portable table or carriage, which is supported upon the legs B and provided with wheels or rollers C. Arranged within the top of the table A is a rotatable plate D, from which extends downward a spindle E, the latter being supported and adapted to rotate in a bearing F in the bottoni of the apparatus.

The spindle E is adapted to be rotated by any suitable form of motor, andA I have shown such a niotor 'consisting of a wheel G, adapted to receive upon one of its sides an air-blast from a nozzle H. When a stream of air is directed from the nozzle upon the wheel'G, the latter, the spindle E,` and the plate D are caused to rotate at high speed.

I indicates a gas-burner, tofwhich gas is vis-to be adjusted up or supplied through a pipe J, and air to be mixed with the gas is supplied through the pipe K. The gas-burner l is carried upon an arm L, formed with a sleeve M, this sleeve M surrounding Ia sleeve lN and being rotatable thereupon. lA collar'G supports the sleeve M' upon the sleeve N. 'the sleeve IY is mounted upon a standard P, which is provided with an ad liusting-screw Q, n hich has-a screw-threaded engagement with the sleeve N and which abuts against or rests upon the top of the standard l?. 'lhe adjusting-screw Q is provided with hand-n heel It, by means of which it may be rotated n hen the sleeve N down on the standard.

S is a form of support adapted to receive within itself the article to be polished and to be placed upon a rotating table D. A support, such as shown in Figs. l and 2, may consist of a base-block T, having hinged thereto the two separable halves U and V of a supporting-frame, these two halves being adapted to be lock d together, as by a catch W, after the article to be polished has beeny placed therein or to be disengaged or swung apart on their hinges when it is desired to remove the article therefrom.

In Figs. Bande is shown a support which is not constructed in separable portions, this form of supportl or holder consisting of a base-block X, a ring Y, and connecting-strips or ribs Z, supporting the ring Y. The forms of holder shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and i are designed to support the articles to be polished only or mainly-around their upper portions.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is-shown a form of holder which is designed to give greater support to the article, being so constructed as to be in contact with practically the whole of the outside of the article. This forni of holder may be required with those kinds of articles ,which are most likely to be softened and caused to sag under the influence of the heat and centriugal force. This forni of holder ccmprises a base a, having hingingly connected therewith the opposite halves b and c oi a support which has substantially the same form interiorly as that of the sides of the article to be polished, excepting, of course, that the interior of the support will be smooth instead of having a design cut thereon.

I amaware that it is old. to remove pressed articles from the mold and to support the same in solid formers while being subjected to a polishing-flame, but such process has4 always proved unsatisfactory for a pressed form or blank having a design pressed 0n the IOO IIO

exterior thereof',l because of tlie frequent chipping of the exterior of the design, which resu ts lfrom inserting it in and removing it from such a forinerybut by dividing the former and closingit upon the base-piece after the article to'` be polished has been set upon the base-piecethis danger is eliminated. Furthermore, it has been found that While there is a tendency of a glass article to sag when the -interior"`tl1e1'eof is subjected to a fireolishing heat unless some means are use ordinarily is not great, and a slight su port will serve to overcomeit. Consequent y the form of supporter former shown in Figs. l and 2 and that sbown in Figs. 3 and 4, While affording sufficie t support to overcome such relatively slight tendency to sag when the still. permits of free radiation, not only because the body of thearticle is exposed to the atmosphere, but also because this form of support permits of itsbeing made of light metal of high heat'conductivity-such, for example, as copper-which, therefore, oHers but slight obstruction to the free radiation.

of heat from the exterior of the lass article,

' and thereby avoids a sufficient of the body of the article to permit it to become objectionably plastic. l .l

I believe it to be new With'me to prevent the sagging of a glass article under the influence of a polishing heat applied to the exterior thereof by sup orting the article in a support or former W 'ch opens and closes on the article, thereby avoiding injury to any pattern pressed on the exterior thereof, or to attain that result by supporting the article in a former or su port which provides for a rapid radiation fiom the exterior thereof either because of the open construction of the support orbecause the support is constructed of thin metal having high heat conf ductivity.

In the use of vmy apparatus the glass arti-` cle is placed within the support or holderand 1prlaced upon the revolving table D. A ame om the gas-burner I is then projected down- Ward into the blank,v the inner surface of Which is quickly softened and melted sufficiently to obliterate all objectionable marks and defects and to give the glass the required -high polish, whereupon the jet of flame is discontinued and the blank is removed an cooled in the usual manner.

Of course the shape of the former may be modified not only to tit different forms of articles,- but to fit' the interior of the article While applying a polishing heat to the exterior.

I claim- 1. An apparatus forufire-polishing glass articles, comprising a hinged, divided support adapted to be closed and secured upon such articles, and'constructed to sufficiently vcon- 6 5 form to one surface of the articles to support to prevent this sagging such tendency the same against distortion When the opposite surface is subjected to a polishing-heat.

2. An apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles, comprising a rigid, open-wor support 3. An apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles, comprising. a hinged, divided, open- Work support arranged to be closed around thearticle to be polished to support the same Y. so as to prevent distortion thereof when subarticle is otherwise exposed to the open air,

j e'cted to a polishing-flameLwhile at the same time affording free access of air thereto.

4. A device for supporting glass articles so.

as to prevent distortion when subjected to a polishing-flame, consisting of a thin, metallic .ring arranged to surround suclrarticle so as to support the same against distortion, and means for supporting said ring in the desired position. v

5. A support for glass articles to prevent distortion thereof While'bein'g subjected to a polishing-flame, consisting of an open frame- VWork of thin metal of good heat conductivity, formed to sufiiciently conform to and supv port the highly-heated'parts of a glass article When subjected to a polishing-flame to :p revent such distortion and means forA applying a polishing-flame to such articles ata point opposite to the contact of such support therewith. l

6. An apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles, comprising a thin metal support su'lliciently conformed to suc-h article to support the same so as to prevent distortion IOO thereof under the polishing heat, and means i for projecting a polishing-flame against a surface of the article opposite to the surface so supported.

7 An apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles, comprising a separable support ar ranged to be opened to receive the article to be polished and to be closed upon said article, and constructed to si'lllicientlyconform to said article to support the same so as to prevent distortion during the polishing operation, and means for proj acting a polishing fiame into the article so supported so as to polish the -interior thereof. i

S. An apparatus for fire-polishing glass articles, comprising a rotatable base, an open- Work support of thin metal conformed to one surface of such article and arranged to support the same so as .to prevent distortion thereof under the polishing heat, means for projecting a polishing-flame against the opposite surface of said article, and means for simultaneously rotating said support, Whereticles, comprising a b there will be a free radiation from the side o saidl article opposite. to the side. being polished.

9. Am apparatus for rire-.polishing glass arthin metal ring arranged to receive andsupport the article during the polishing operation, and means dor projecting a polishing-llame into the interior of the article While so supported and against the opposite side of the surface so supported' 10. A11 apparatus for hre-polishing glass articles, comprising means for projecting' a polishing-flame against all of one side of a glass article, a thin, metallic support sufficiently conformed to the opposite side of said article to support the same and prevent distortion thereof during Vthe polishing opera-v tion, and means for rotating said support While the polishing-flame is being applied, so thatthere shall be a free radiation of heat Jfrom the side of the glass article opposite to the side being polished.

- 11. An apparatus for hre-polishing glass articles, in combination With means for directing-a polishing-flame against the entire inner surface of such articles, means for rotating the article While being polished, and

means for so supporting said article during the polishing process as to prevent distortion thereof, said last-named means being so constructed as to permit free radiation therefrom.

SOLON OSMONI) RICHARDSON, JR. Witnesses:

J. D. ROBINSON, J. H. WRIGHT. 

